Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 38: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Wantnes “Gem ae \0 EN SEAT ROGAN 36 bee BLIUESKIN ee RE gc a th valuable service of plate, and, in addition to that, a casket, the contents of which he judged to be jewels. Then, without devoting any further attention to them, he proceeded to examine the indorsements upon a number ot little packages of papers Nearly all of these he contemptuously cast aside, but one or two he placed carefully iu his breast-pocket. But still he seemed m quest of something more, for, without pausing an instant, he kept tossing things ont until at last the chest was quite empty. While he was thus oceupied, Jack had carefully stowed into the be> which contained their tools the whole of the dinner servic. the casket, and a great many other objects of Jess value. He finished just as Blueskin turned the last thing out, aud he stood Jooking curiously at bin. {t would not by any means be going too far to say that the number and diversity of events of which he had heen cognizant during the past few hours had quite a confusing effect npon Sheppard’s mind. The imminent danger in which they had stood had unuerved him, and 1t is not at all to be wondered at that it did. With the stock of the pistol with which he had threatened to take the mercbant’s life, Blueskin knocked against the walls of the iron chest in order to discover whether there were any hollows 1m it. But there did not appear to be. No matter where- abouts he struck, a uniform solid sound was produced. He was irritated at being unable to find what he sought. e It was a certain document, with the nature of whicli the reader will presently be made acquainted. He rose up. ‘* Have you got all safe, Jack ?” ‘Everything,’ rephed Sheppard, hoisting the bag on to his shoulder. ‘‘Tfere, you had better take the lan- tern.” “Yes. We have done a pretty good night’s work, though what I wanted was not in the box.’’ “ Indeed.” “No. Itwasa paper of great consequence to Jonathan Wild. But come, if we stay much longer it will be broad daylight by the time we reach London, and that will never O 33 So saying, Blueskin unfastened and opened the door. No sooner, however, did he cross the threshold, than a sudden dash was made at him, anda dozen hands clutched at different portions of his body and apparel, while a shout of exultation arose from many throats. CHAPTER XXIV. AVARICE AS USUAL SUCCEEDS JN DULLING WILD’S SUPERSTITIOUS FEARS. BEFORE we proceed to relate what Blueskin did upon this occasion, it 1s absolutely necessary that we shonld revert to Jonathan Wild, and detail the sequel of the frightful events which occurred in the vaults beneath the old church at Tottenham. It will be recollected that Jonathan, hearing a noise behind him, turned suddenly round, and beheld one of the coffins moving slightly, while from its interior a sound, the like of which he had never heard hefore, proceeded. Attennated already as bis mind was by the ghastly objects wherewith he was surrounded, it is no matter of surprise that this spectacle should consummate the en- chainment of his faculties. Then, as with bursting eyeballs he gazed upon it, his senses recelved a still greater shock, for a fearful shriek— such as might, without any stretch of the imagination, be supposed to emanate from some damned soul when hurled headlong downwards to berdition—rent the air, which stagnated arouud him. And then ere it had died away—horror of horrors! the coffin toppled over, and fel] on to the floor of the vault. Jonathan felt his senses were leaving him. And yet before total annihilation supervened hoe was conscious that a bony haud had seized him with an iron rasp. Alter that all was nothingness. For the first time in his life, Wild swooned. How long he remained in a state of syncope he had, of JONATHAN o e SS eee a a eee A ROMANCE. ot r= course, no means of telling, but it was for no very great length of time, since the peculiar chillness of the atmos- phere would naturally have a revivifying effect upon the system. When he came back to life his brain was in a whirl. .t was some time before he could call to mind what had happened. The rayless darkness puzzled him. It was long before he could form an idea ot where he was. A sensation of weight, too, was about bis limbs, as though some heavy hody was pressing on them. But Jonathan’s mind and memory were strong and lucid ; so after a time it happened that he recollected all that had taken place up toa certain point. What that certain point was the reader already knows. For a few »oments he was the slave to a fresh acces- sion of superstitious terror. Gut with admirable self-control he subdued it. Then he slowly rose to a sitting posture, and drew his legs from under the heavy weight which was above them. n this attitude he remained for a few seconds. Every second his mind was getting clearer, and what was more, freer from ghostly dread. He put out his right hand. But he drew it back with an involuntary shudder of loathing and disgust. It had touched something cold—icy cold. Then in another instant he recollected what, from the peculiar feel, it must have been. His lantern. Nothing more. His dark lantern, which be now remembered he had in his fright Jet fall. It was with avything but repugnance, after having made this discovery, that he again extended his hand in the direction of the cold object. But this time he was not so fortunate, for he made several fruitless attempts before he could succeed in touch- ing it. At last be found it. With trembling eagerness be opened the little door and felt with his fiugers if the wick was uninjured. Yes, all was well. In another moment he ignited it by means of a phos- phorous matehl, for Jonathan always took the precaution —a good one under any circumstances—to have about his person the means of readily procuring a hght. The wick of the lantern flickered and spluttered a great deal before it caught hght properly, and to prevent any current of air reaching it Jonathan closed the door in which the bull’s eye was fitted. Slowly and carefully be got upon his feet. By tle time he had drawn himself up to his full height a broad beam of light issued through the lens. Then as he looked downward a frightful spectacle pre- sented itself to his view. Truly was it enough to treeze the blood. The cottin which had 11 so mexphcable a manner tum- bled off the shelf reached the floor with so much violence that it was burst open. Withim it, completely bathed in blood, was the disfigured remnants of a corpse. Jonathan’s heart heaved at the sight. But what is it that causes such a sudden revulsion of feeling on the part of the thief-takers ? He no longer shrinks baci. as if horrified, but on the contrary bends downwards with the utmost eagerness. It 1s hecause he sees sparkling with a rare etfulgence in that darksome place the coronet ef diamonds which the fond father had presented to his daughter as a unptial gift, and which, in uccordance with her strange desire, was buried with her. It is that which he stoops to pick vp. As much as possible, he averts Lis eyes from the dead hody while he does so. Then, to his surprise, he finds it cliug tightly, and he has to use some degree of violence to disengage it. But at last it comes away in his hand, and he holds it so that the rays of the lantern fall with the greatest lumi- rasity upon it. Jonathan has not yet got to the end of the horrors of that place. He starts. His face turns of a ghastly, sallow hue, are COMmiICcooo (C SH o(GO)